Rachid Ramda (aka Abou Fares) , who has been sitting in Britain’s Belmarsh Prison for 10 years, having fought nine extradition attempts on terrorism charges to France , finally had his day in court on February 27. Ramda faces accusations that he helped fund a GIA terror campaign in the mid-1990s in Paris’s metro system. Ramda’s trial is expected to last until March 22.
Britain refused Ramda’s extradition for so long because of allegations that the French anti-terrorism police tortured confessions out of other terror suspects. In fact, he became the longest serving extradition prisoner in the UK. A trial of two alleged Corsicans terrorists was dismissed in mid-February over similar allegations. And, an associate of Ramda, Boualem Bensaid, also claimed to have been tortured into giving up statements about Ramda by French police; Bensaid, however, is serving a life sentence for his involvement in the August 1995 failed attack on a TGV train (Terrorist Incident forthcoming). Defense lawyer Guillaume Barbe called for delays in the trial to allow for an internal investigation of the police force.
His case strained diplomatic relations between the UK and France. French authorities claimed that the UK was harboring Islamic terrorists, a charge that might not have been so far fetched when calibrated with the July 7 attacks . London, however, became more willing to crack down on militant Islamists in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Ramda was frequently seen among the Islamist population in “Londonistan” and visited regularly with Abu Qatada . Ramda was arrested in London in November 1995.
Ramda will face two trials in 2006, both of which could be impacted by the outcome of any police internal investigation. Ramda faces 23 counts of financing and organizing terrorist activity between August and November 1995 and of financing a terror group, namely the GIA. The first trial revolves around his association to the GIA and providing logistical support to the group to carry out various attacks, while the second trial focuses squarely on his involvement in a particular attack and the resulting deaths from it. Ramda is accused of both funding the GIA and masterminding their July 25, 1995 attack against the Saint Michel station , one of the bloodiest attacks at the time. Two additional attacks followed within months (Terrorist Incident, Terrorist Incident, and Terrorist Incident), and Ramda may have been involved in those as well. In 2002, two Algerians?Boualem Bensaid and Smain Ait Ali Belkacem?were sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in the attack. Anti-terrorism police discovered “internal GIA documents” and a receipt for a wire transfer from London to Bensaid, a known GIA agent, both linked to Ramda. Further, the Irish Examiner indicated that Ramda also claimed responsibility on behalf of the GIA in Al Ansar newspaper in retaliation for France’s support of the Algerian government and for their involvement in hunting down various GIA terrorist who were involved in the December 1994 Air France hijacking .
If the start of the trial is any indication of what is to come, Ramda’s case is unlikely to be quick and seamless. However, should he be found guilty of association to a terrorist organization, he can only be sentenced to 10 years in prison. It remains unclear if time served at Belmont would apply. However, if he is found guilty of involvement in acts of terrorism, he could be jailed for life.